Encounter: The Lost Cards is a roguelike deck-builder currently available in Steam Early Access – or to be more precise, one more freaking roguelike deck-builder currently available in Steam Early Access. In other words, what does this have to offer that differentiates itself from the hundreds of other similar games? Bringing fate (aka luck) to the forefront instead of traditional branching paths, this handles what happens with a deck of tarot cards that determines encounters, rewards, and dangers. Each run is a weird adventure where humour, risk and consequence are tightly interwoven. Is it fun, though?
Progression in Encounter: The Lost Cards is dictated by randomly drawn events that can range from combat, shopping and social interactions. These are not isolated moments. Choices made early in a run can meaningfully alter the future. Being all good and virtuous may open doors to helpful NPCs and free items, while sinful actions can turn otherwise friendly situations hostile. This simple morality system encourages thinking beyond short-term gains, as decisions echo forward in subtle but impactful ways.
The morality system of Encounter includes an interesting mechanic that tracks one’s moral alignment. Temptations appear frequently, offering powerful short-term benefits in exchange for sinful actions like theft or indulgence. Virtuous paths provide their own advantages, such as resurrection or protective boons upon death, while sinful runs lead to different consequences from a sexy demon. Neither route is strictly superior, but most importantly it’s something that adds to the replayability of it all.
Combat itself is a turn-based affair that is designed around action points. Turns grant a limited number of points that can be used, with opportunities to increase that limit through lucky rolls or specific choices. Success in battle depends less on raw power and more on how well a player has curated their inventory throughout their quest. It’s important to note that, rather than building a deck of cards, the main character collects items that function as their action economy during battles.
Every item has limited durability and will eventually break, making resource management just as important as tactical decision making. Towns offer opportunities to repair valuable gear, but poor planning can leave the hero underprepared for major encounters. The tension created by fragile equipment adds weight to every choice and reinforces the importance of efficiency over excess. It’s one of those games where you are asked to constantly reevaluate your options – and, yes, that’s a good thing.
As with many of its ilk, repetition eventually sets in. The encounters are entertaining and filled with quirky, often adult-leaning humour, and the colourful, detailed and stylish (if not a bit generic) retro-ish pixel art, which makes it easier to stomach the tedium. Still, the events begin to repeat after several runs. The randomness of loot, judgement outcomes, and encounter order keeps the experience from becoming stale too quickly…but the noticeably boring grind cannot be avoided, particularly for players aiming to unlock permanent buffs.
As a final note, as is almost customary with such projects, there are a couple of bugs lurking around, but luckily nothing too severe. The mechanics are also not as clearly explained as they could be, leading to wasted runs for new players. Thankfully, this small peek makes it clear that if the developer continues adding content, while also refining what’s here, Encounter: The Lost Cards will become a solid recommendation for fans of the genre.
